Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Last night I tried a new fro-yo place. Red Mango is Pinkberry’s (sorry, I mentioned it again) main competition. Red Mango claims that they’re more natural than Pinkberry is, and that they were the first frozen yogurt chain to receive the National Yogurt Association’s Live and Active Culture Seal.

+ They have unique flavors like Green Tea and Tangomonium. I didn’t try Tangomonium, but I assume that it’s an orange-y flavor.
+ I am a Graham Cracker nut. I was very excited to see that Red Mango offers them as a topping to their yogurts.
+ No tart taste!
– Kind of pricey. A small original with Graham Crackers ran me $4.30. I think you can get more bang for your buck at Caffe’ Roast Bean.

As of right now, Red Mango ranks second out of the four places I’ve tried.
1. Caffe’ Roast Bean
2. Red Mango
3. The cafe at FIT
4. Pinkberry
Sorry, groupies.

+ Self serve!
+ Very cheap. This sign that advertised its price of $0.39 per ounce is what originally drew Allie into the shop.
+ The yogurt is light, similar to Pinkberry’s.
+ The yogurt is not tart like Pinkberry’s. I personally don’t like tart things. This personal positive might be your negative.

The California Department of Agriculture claimed that the yogurt didn’t have enough bacterial cultures to be considered a yogurt. Consequently, Pinkberry was forced to either change their claim that they serve all-natural yogurt, or to change their formula.
A more pressing issue in the scandal was that Pinkberry manufactured all of their products on location. California law states that all dairy products must be pasteurized at the plant where they are processed and packaged.

Pinkberry was the only frozen yogurt chain that I knew of before I moved to Manhattan. Any high-end chain that reaches Goshen, NY must be a giant.
Everyone in this city goes bonkers over Pinkberry. The company chose to acknowledge their popularity by adding a “groupie” link on their webpage, http://www.pinkberry.com/. I had always wanted to try Pinkberry. After learning that the company has groupies, I put it at the top of my list.

Location: 170 8th Avenue, Manhattan. There are twelve other locations in Manhattan. Most of the other branches of the chain are located in California, where the brand originated.
Taste: Tart. It is very light and won’t make you feel guilty for indulging. It stays colder than the machines in FIT’s cafe, so it is firmer and less like soup.
Price: $$. $4.84 for a small with toppings. (I got a small original with crumbled Oreo bits on top.)
Flavor Choices: Some variety. Original, Pomegranate, Coconut, and Passionfruit. Pomegranate, Coconut, and Pomegranate are seasonal flavors. The original is available year-round. Parfaits and smoothies are also available.
Topping choices: Lots of ’em! Kiwi, Captain Crunch cereal, Raspberries, crumbled Oreo bits, blackberries, strawberries, craisins, banana chunks, Hershey Kisses, chocolate shavings, Fruity Pebbles, blueberries, coconut shavings, and additional seasonal fruits.

+ Plenty of flavor and topping choices!
+ Not a heavy yogurt, so you won’t feel guilty or bloated after eating it.
+ Serving sizes are pretty big. Even though it is pricey, you’re paying for a lot.
+ There are a lot of locations. It’s easily accessible to people living in the city.
– It’s pricey. 😦

The first place that I tried frozen yogurt was in FIT’s cafe. It was an obvious first choice because I have a meal plan and because there was no walking/researching addresses involved to get to the cafe. It wasn’t a bad first foray into the world of frozen yogurt.

Location: 27th St. at 7th Ave. The Fashion Institute of Technology Cafe.
Taste: Rich, a lot like ice cream. Not bad for a girl who has only eaten ice cream for the past eighteen years.
Price: $-
Flavor Choices: Two. French Vanilla and Chocolate.
Topping Choices: Limited. Rainbow (!) and chocolate sprinkles.

+ The cafe gives students a good sized styrofoam cup and allows them to serve themselves.
+ The yogurt is very rich, much like ice cream. A smoother way to ease into frozen yogurt.
+ Is it even frozen yogurt?
+ Next to no chance that I can get lost trying to find this place.
– Limited flavor and topping choices.